Bed attachment.



PATENTED MAY17, 1904.

W. E. ROBERTS.

BED ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.12, 1901.

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I n l I I l E E l I n ventor.

Witnesses.

Alla Attorney.-

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No. 760,153. PATENTED MAY 17, 1904. w. E. ROBERTS.

BED ATTACHMENT.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG.12, 1901.

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UNITED STATES ramed May w, 1904;

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. ROBERTS, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO PEERLESS BEDREST COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEWV YORK, A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BED ATTACHMENT- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.760,153, dated May 17, 1904:. Application filed August 12, 1901. SerialNo. 71,745. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. Ronnnrs, of Rochester, in the county ofMonroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and, usefulImprovements in Bed Attachments;

and I do hereby declare the following to be a clear, full, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, and to thereference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention has for its object to provide an improved form ofelevating device adapted to be applied to beds, whereby a patient oroccupant of the bed may be elevated to a sitting posture or adjusted atany intermediate inclined position; and it embodies such an arrangementof parts that the device may be easily applied to any bed or adjusted to(it those of different widths.

To these ends my invention further consists in certain improvements andcombination of parts, all as will be described, and the novel featurespointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bed, showing theapplication of an elevating device constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the head portion of the bedhaving my device applied thereto. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of myelevating device and the operating mechanism connected thereto, and Fig.4 is a detail view.

Similar reference-numerals in the several figures indicate similarparts.

The device I have shown is particularly adapted to be used upon beds inhospitals and similar institutions and embodies a suitable frame adaptedto be arranged beneath the mattress whereby one end of the latter may beelevated to raise the patient. In the present instance I have shown mydevice applied to a bed having the head and foot portions 1 and 2,between which extend the side rails 23, and above the upper edges of thelatter are the usual springs forming a support 4 for the mattress 5.

The elevating device embodies a pair of provide therein a series ofapertures 14, adapted to receive the bolts 15, by means of which theends of the bar 12 are secured. A series of supports for the mattressalso extend between the arms 6 and over the bed-springs, and in orderthat the mattress may give slightly under the patients weight when ineither a flat or elevated position I construct said supports ofcoil-springs 17 and to adjust the tension of the springs or to lengthenthe latter when the device is applied to a wider bed I arrange bolts 18,extending through the arms at the ends of the springs and into thecenter thereof, and at the inner ends of the bolts are provided pins 19,engaging between convolutions of the springs. The adjustment isaccomplished by revolving the bolts by means of a screw-driver or othertool inserted in the slotted head 18, causing the pins 19 to move aroundbetween the convolutions of the springs to regulate their tension, andby extending the bolts inwardly, as shown, I am enabled to employ thesame springs upon the frames whether mounted upon a wide or narrow bed,and the springs being adjusted equally upon their opposite ends themattress will give freelyand with equal elasticity at any point betweenits sides.

The operating mechanism is arrangedupon the bed-frame in rear of thepivots 7 and consists of a revoluble shaft 22, supported in bearings orbrackets 23, attached to-the bedrails 3, and connected to the lever-arms10 by means of chains 24: or other flexible connections.

vary its length as may be required I construct it, as shown, embodyingthe end portions of equal diameter, and between these I The shaft 22 isalso adjustable, and to arrange a smaller telescoping section 25,secured rigidly in one of said end portions by a rivet 26 and adjustablyengaging the other portion by means of a bolt 27, passing through saidportion and engaging in one of a series of apertures 28, provided in thesection 25. By this arrangement the shaft may be easily adjusted and theends thereof rotated together.

The shaft 22 is adapted to be operated by means of a crank-handle 29,having an angular aperture 30, adapted to engage angular studs orprojections 31 on the ends of the shaft. Ratchet-wheels 32 are securedto the end portions of the shaft upon the outer sides of the bearings orbrackets 23 and engaging the sides of the latter serve to center theshaft and prevent it from being displaced therein by longitudinalmovement. In attaching this part of the device the bearing-brackets 23are first secured to the side rails 3 and the sections of the shaft 22separated by removing the bolt 27 when they may be passed through thebearings and secured as described by inserting the telescoping ends andapplying the bolt 27 through one of the apertures 28. It will be readilyunderstood, however, that the ratchet-wheels may also be arranged to en'gage against the inner sides of the bearings to accomplish the sameresult. Pawls 35, pivoted on screws 36 to rearwardly-extending arms 37on the bearing-brackets and having a weighted arm 38 in rear of thepivot, nor-' mally engage the teeth of the ratchet-wheels to lock theshaft. It is of course only necessary to employ a single ratchet forlocking the shaft; but I prefer to use one upon each side and to provideeach end of the shaft with the angular projection or studs 31 in orderthat the device may be operated from either side of the bed, if desired.The elevating device as a whole is adapted to be constructed ofcomparatively light material. Therefore to prevent the forward ends 10of the arms 6 from becoming bent, as might be the case were a person tosit down by the side of a patient at the head of the bed when themattress is slightly in elevated position, I have arranged shortcoil-springs to between the arms 10 and the ends of the chains 24:, asshown, thereby providing an elastic connection that will permit theparts to give slightly.

The device described is simple and consists of few parts, which arecomparatively small and so arranged upon a bed that they may beconveniently hidden by the usual bedclothes.

To elevate a patient, the operator is simply required to apply thehandle 29 to the shaft 22 and turn it, when the arms 6, carrying themattress, can be adjusted to any desired angle and the flexible supportsextending between the arms and carrying the mattress when it is elevatedpermits the latter to spring or give under the patients weight, and whenthe arms are in the lowermost position the supports do not interferewith the operation of the bed- Springs. 1

I claim as my invention 1. In an attachment for beds embodying a framehaving side rails and provided with a bed-support, the combination withseparate plates mounted on the rails, arms pivoted thereon, anadjustable bar rigidly connecting their upper ends, separatebearing-brackets mounted on the rails, and an adjustable tubular shaftmounted in the bearings embodying the separate telescoping parts wherebyit may be adjusted in length, of ratchet-wheels mounted on the separateparts of said shaft and means for locking said parts to hold theratchets in engagement with the brackets to limit the longitudinalmovement of the shaft in the bearings, pawls pivoted on the brackets andengaging the ratchet-wheels and flexible connections between the shaftand arms.

2. In an attachment for beds embodying a frame having side rails andprovided with a bed-support, the combination with plates removablyattached to the rails, arms pivoted to the plates, the baradjustablyconnected between the upper ends of the arms, springs between the armsextending over the bed-support, of bearing-brackets removably mounted onthe rails, the adjustable tubular shaft embodying the separatetelescoping parts extending through the bearings and connected at theirproximate ends, the ratchet-wheels on said parts of the shaft engagingthe brackets and preventing the longitudinal movement of the shaft inthe bearings, the pawls on the bracket engaging the ratchets andconnections between thearms and shaft whereby the latter may be elevatedto an angle to the bedsupport when the shaft is rotated.

3. The combination with a bed having the side rails and the bed-support,the combination with separate detachable plates adapted to be mounted onthe bed-rails, arms journaled on the plates having theinwardly-extending perforated ends, a bar extending between said endshaving engaging devices entering said perforations and flexibleconnections between the arms extending over the bed-support, of bracketsattached to the rails, a sectional tubular shaft journaled thereinhaving its ends telescoping and provided with perforations,ratchet-wheels on the separate sections and interlocking devicessecuring said sections with the ratchetwheels in engagement with thebrackets to limit the longitudinal movement of the shaft in itsbearings, chains connected to the shaft, springs arranged in the chainsbetween the shaft and arms and pawls on the brackets and anoperating-handle on the shaft.

4. In an attachment for beds, the combination with a frame provided withside rails and having a bed-support, the separate plates 8 mounted onthe rails and arms 6 pivoted to said plates having elastic connections17 arranged between them and extending over the bed-support, of separatebrackets 23 remov one of the brackets 23 engaging therewith ablyattached to the rails, a shaft having adjustable sections 22, shoulderson said sections adapted to engage the brackets, and a locking devicesecuring the sections with the shoulders thereon engaging similar sidesof the brackets to prevent longitudinal movement of the shaft, aratchet-wheel 32 on the shaft, a pawl 35 on and flexible connections 24between the shaft IO and arms.

WILLIAM E. ROBERTS.-

Witnesses:

JAMES S. WRIGHT, ANNIE'B. WALTERS.

